THE LANTERN DANCER | A Closer Look

The Lantern Dancer a Closer Look

About us

Artist Sue Weaver and her husband Dale opened Lantern Dancer in 1992, in partnership with Jerry and Rosemary Zepnick. The store name came from a camping incident involving an old kerosene lantern that caught fire. Dale grabbed the lantern and ran from the tent to put out the fire. He was naked as he danced around stomping out the flames, earning him the nickname Lantern Dancer. Doris Green owned Lantern Dancer since July 2005. She purchased the shop and has focused on providing quality merchandise, including one-of-a-kind Native American and contemporary Southwestern jewelry, along with local fine arts and crafts. Leanne Goebel, whose known Doris Green since 2002, joined the staff in 2014 and has managed all aspects of the business. Goebel served on the Board of the Indian Arts and Crafts Association.

Christine Jones was approached by Doris Spring of 2021 to purchase the company and merge is with her company Pagosa Funky Trunk-a brick and mortar shoppe. With her experienced team, turquoise is shipped around the globe with an emphasis on sourcing stones directly from iconic Turquoise mines and jewelry directly from the artist.
At Lantern Dancer we know that jewelry is a gift from the heart. But we also believe that handmade Native American jewelry is a gift from the soul and provides many blessings to the wearer. We buy direct from Native American artisans, who are part of our store family and work closely with our knowledgeable staff. When you buy from us, you are more than a customer, you are a friend. And you can be assured that you are working with a company that has a long track record of honesty, integrity and people who love what they do! Every piece of jewelry we sell comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee and all items are authentic Native American pieces, hand selected by us on our frequent buying trips. A certificate of authenticity, signed by the artist is included with most purchases.